Refrigerating plate



June 2, 1964 H. w. KLEIST 3,135,323

REFRIGERATING PLATE Filed April 4, 1962 {WY/ENTER. 4 flaiww Maid BY y I f United States Patent O REFRIGERATING PLATE Herman W. Kleist, Hollywood, 111., assignor to Dole Refrigerating Company, Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 4, H962, Ser. No. 185,009 2 Claims. ((1 165-468) This invention relates to an improvement in refrigerating plates and has for one purpose to provide an improved plate having storage or stand-by characteristics.

Another purpose is to provide an improved plate of the type currently called a truck plate, in which improved means are provided for maintaining a substantially uniform heat abstraction characteristic throughout the surface of the plate.

Another purpose is to provide an improved arrangement of coil or tubing for truck plates.

Another purpose is to provide improved means for providing maximum flexibility in the connecting of such a plate in a refrigerating system.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a truck plate having the tubing or coils characteristic of the present invention, with portions broken away;

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, I illustrate a plate having generally planeand generally parallel side walls. The plate is shown as including a generally plane side sheet or wall 1. A boxlike container is secured to it about its edges. This container is shown as including a plane plate side wall area 2, generally parallel with the plate side wall 1. The two walls are connected about their edges by edge walls 3, 4, 5,, and 6. In the drawings these are illustrated as generally perpendicular to the side walls 1 and 2. The edge walls may terminate'in outwardly bent flanges 7 which may be welded or otherwise suitably secured to the wall or plate 1. The walls are connected,

by welding or otherwise, in order to provide a housing which is substantially gas-tight.

Within the housing or container thus formed I position the below described coil or tubing structure. It will p be understood that this tubing or coil is intended to be connected in a refrigerating circuit which may be of the conventional compressor and condenser-type. Since such circuits are known, it will not be necessary to describe any such circuit in detail. It will be understood, however, that a compressor may be employed, from the high or pressure side of which a compressed gas is delivered. For example, ammonia may be used, or any other suitable refrigerant. The volatile refrigerant, when it leaves the high side or pressure side of the compressor, is delivered to any suitable condenser, where, by the passage of cooling air or otherwise, the hot gas is cooled and liquefied. The liquefied refrigerant, still under high pressure, is delivered to or through any suitable pressure reduction means, such for example, as a pressure reduction valve. The gas, at reduced pressure, flows through the coil in the plate and, as it expands or evaporates in the coil, it abstracts heat. The evaporated or low pressure refrigerant then flows from the discharge end of the coil and is returned to the suction side of the compressor. This refrigerating circuit, being well known, will not be further treated in detail, and

. tial vacuum to maintain the plate side walls in their v 2 it is thought unnecessary to illustrate any specific compressor or the condenser means.

Referring now to the plate proper, I illustrate a coil or tubing arrangement having an inlet manifold 10 and an outlet manifold 11 These two manifolds are shown as connected by stretches of tubing, each one of which is shown as including a rectilinear length 12 extending from the inlet manifold 10 and a rectilinear length 14 extending to the outlet manifold 11. These two lengths, which are generally perpendicular to the manifolds, are connected by an intermediate bend 15, an intermediate rectilinear 16 and a second intermediate bend 17. Thus, through each of the lengths l2 evaporating refrigerant will flow to the opposite or discharge manifold 11, through a relatively short course, but a course which'is still sub stantially greater than the distance between the inlet and the outlet manifolds.

I find it convenient to employ tubing of rectangular cross section, but tubing of any suitable cross section may be employed. As a matter of conveniene, I show the manifolds as of rectangular section and as of some what greater cross section than the connecting coils. It will be understood that by this structure the evaporating refrigerant flows in parallel from the inlet manifold to the outlet manifold, through a plurality of separate paths. Any suitable number of such paths may be employed, but I illustrate, for example, three. I

The coil, as will be clear from FIGURES 2 and 3, is of substantially smaller cross section than the distance separating the inner surfaces of the sidewalls 1 and 2. The space within the plate, outside of the coil, is largely occupied by asuitable eutectic. Any suitable eutectic may be employed, and what is primarily necessary is that the eutectic, brine or the like becomes solid at a predetermined temperature. It will be understood that various eutectics may be selected which harden or freeze at various temperatures. The plate then has the heat abstraction capacity of such temperature, and maintains it through a relatively long period.

In the plate herein shown I employ a spacing structure which may include a plurality of channels or angles 20 suitably connected by longitudinal extending connecting elements 21. These channels are of such size as to maintain the sides 1 and 2 substantially parallel and substantially plane throughout their areas, when the sides 1 and 2 are forced inwardly toward each other as far as they can go. I find it advantageous to employ a pardesired position. I illustrate at 25 a vacuum fitting through which the interior of the plate may be partially evacuated. It will be understood that although the interior of the plate outside of the coil is largely filled with the eutectic, enough space is left so that when eutectic is frozen it does not bulge the walls outward-1y. I

cool the interiors of trucks, it is advantageous to be able to locate them at any desired position within the truck, or other retricted space. To this end, I provide each of the manifolds with fittings at either end. With reference, for example, to FIGURE 1, I show an inlet fitting 30 at one end of the manifold and a closure plug 31 at the other. It will be understood that the position of the inlet fitting and the closure plug may be reversed, it being possible to insert'the inlet fitting at either end of the inlet manifold. Similarly, as regards to the outlet manifold ll,

I illustrate an outlet fitting 32 at one end and a closure plus-flat the other. The opposed parts of these fittings and plugs are screw-threaded in such fashion that they may readily be reversed. Thus, as regards FIGURE 1, he inlet fitting may be either at the top or the bottom of the plate, and as to the outlet fitting, it may be at either the top or the bottom of the plate. It is a matter of choice then as to where the inlet and outlet fittings are positioned, which gives complete flexibility as to the positioning of the plates in the space to be refrigerated.

It is to be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practical and operative device, nevertheless, many changes in size, shape, number and disposition of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish mydescription and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense diagrammatic rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

In plates of the type herein shown it is important that the evaporative or heat abstracting effect be as uniform as possible throughout the surface of the plate. I therefore find it advantageous to split the flow of the evaporating refrigerant into a series of generally parallel paths. I find that by using simple coils of the type herein shown extending in parallel between the two manifolds, 1 maintain a substantially uniform heat abstraction effect with a minimum of individual welds or connections.

In the typical plate herein shown as an example I position the manifolds at the ends of the plate and maintain a highly efiicient heat abstraction uniformity through the plate by the employment of only three connecting coil lengths. The use of manifolds at the ends of the plate has thefurther advantage of flexibility in plate connection which is provided by the interchangeablilty of the inlet and outlet fittings with the closure plugs. Any desired number of units or coils may be employed, with appropriate connections to the manifolds.

Tubing of any suitable cross-section may be employed,

although rectangular'tubing is shown as a matter of illustration. 1

While the plate may vary in design and detail, I illustrate a plate including two generally parallel side walls and connecting edge walls, the coil within the plate being held in contact with one of the side walls by spacing means which abut the other side wall. cumstances it is advantageous to urge the side Walls toward each otherby partially evacuating the interior of the plate. The interior of the plate, exterior to the coil or tubing and manifolds, may advantageously be at least partially filled With a eutectic.

I claim:

l. A vacuum type truck plate structure for vehicular use, said truck plate being characterized by having a substantially uniform heat abstraction characteristic over its entire working area, ruggedness, and complete installation interchangeability, said plate including, in combination,

two plane body walls, said body walls being substantially longer than they are wide,

Under many cirpairs of narrow, generally parallel side walls, said side walls being connected about their edges in gas tight relationship to the plane body walls to thereby provide a plate body which'is substantially wider than y it is thick and substantially longer than it is wide, an evaporating coil structure within the plate body,

said evaporating coil structure being composed of a plurality of individual coils, each coil being composed of a plurality of coil runs, each coil having a lesser number of connections than coil runs,

two manifolds, one at each end of the plate, each of said individual coils being connected by its connections to the manifolds,

each manifold having an outlet at each end in opposite plate side walls whereby refrigerant can be admitted to either end of the manifold,

both the individual coils and the manifolds being reetangular, and of the same width,

the portion of each manifold intermediate its ends being eo-planar with the coil runs,

the ends of eachmanifold being offset from the portion intermediate thereof and located'substantially midway between the opposed plane body walls to thereby provide equal access to each manifold terminus irrespective of the relative position of the plate,

a plurality of primary spacers which butt against, at one extremity, the plane body Wall and, at the other extremity, the plane sides of the coil runs, said primary spacers being located transversely with respect to the coil runs, and

a plurality of secondary spacers positioned transversely of the primary spacers, and generally parallelto the coil runs,

one of said secondary spacers being located between each individual coil,

, each of said secondary spacers having a thickness approximating but not greater than the thickness of the coils to thereby provide a supporting framework for the plane body walls within the enclosure Which maintains the plane body walls substantially parallel and substantially plane when the body walls are forced inwardly toward each other as far as they can 2. The vacuum type truck plate structure of claim 1 further characterized in that each coil includes a first run opening into one of the manifolds, a second run opening into the other manifold, a third run intermediate the first and second runs, and reverse curves connecting the contiguous ends of the adjacent runs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED'STATES PATENTS 

1. A VACUUM TYPE TRUCK PLATE STRUCTURE FOR VEHICULAR USE, SAID TRUCK PLATE BEING CHARACTERIZED BY HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM HEAT ABSTRACTION CHARACTERISTIC OVER ITS ENTIRE WORKING AREA, RUGGEDNESS, AND COMPLETE INSTALLATION INTERCHANGEABILITY, SAID PLATE INCLUDING, IN COMBINATION, TWO PLANE BODY WALLS, SAID BODY WALLS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY LONGER THAN THEY ARE WIDE, PAIRS OF NARROW, GENERALLY PARALLEL SIDE WALLS, SAID SIDE WALLS BEING CONNECTED ABOUT THEIR EDGES IN GAS TIGHT RELATIONSHIP TO THE PLANE BODY WALLS TO THEREBY PROVIDE A PLATE BODY WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY WIDER THEN IT IS THICK AND SUBSTANTIALLY LONGER THAN IT IS WIDE, AN EVAPORATING COIL STRUCTURE WITHIN THE PLATE BODY, SAID EVAPORATING COIL STRUCTURE BEING COMPOSED OF A PLURALITY OF INDIVIDUAL COILS, EACH COIL BEING COMPOSED OF A PLURALITY OF COIL RUNS, EACH COIL HAVING A LESSER NUMBER OF CONNECTIONS THAN COIL RUNS, TWO MANIFOLDS, ONE AT EACH END OF THE PLATE, EACH OF SAID INDIVIDUAL COILS BEING CONNECTED BY ITS CONNECTIONS TO THE MANIFOLDS, EACH MANIFOLD HAVING AN OUTLET AT EACH END IN OPPOSITE PLATE SIDE WALLS WHEREBY REFRIGERANT CAN BE ADMITTED TO EITHER END OF THE MANIFOLD, BOTH THE INDIVIDUAL COILS AND THE MANIFOLDS BEING RECTANGULAR, AND OF THE SAME WIDTH, THE PORTION OF EACH MANIFOLD INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS BEING CO-PLANAR WITH THE COIL RUNS, THE ENDS OF EACH MANIFOLD BEING OFFSET FROM THE PORTION INTERMEDIATE THEREOF AND LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY MIDWAY BETWEEN THE OPPOSED PLANE BODY WALLS TO THEREBY PROVIDE EQUAL ACCESS TO EACH MANIFOLD TERMINUS IRRESPECTIVE OF THE RELATIVE POSITION OF THE PLATE, A PLURALITY OF PRIMARY SPACERS WHICH BUTT AGAINST, AT ONE EXTREMITY, THE PLANE BODY WALL AND, AT THE OTHER EXTREMITY, THE PLANE SIDES OF THE COIL RUNS, SAID PRIMARY SPACERS BEING LOCATED TRANSVERSELY WITH RESPECT TO THE COIL RUNS, AND A PLURALITY OF SECONDARY SPACERS POSITIONED TRANSVERSELY OF THE PRIMARY SPACERS, AND GENERALLY PARALLEL TO THE COIL RUNS, ONE OF SAID SECONDARY SPACERS BEING LOCATED BETWEEN EACH INDIVIDUAL COIL, EACH OF SAID SECONDARY SPACERS HAVING A THICKNESS APPROXIMATING BUT NOT GREATER THAN THE THICKNESS OF THE COILS TO THEREBY PROVIDE A SUPPORTING FRAMEWORK FOR THE PLANE BODY WALLS WITHIN THE ENCLOSURE WHICH MAINTAINS THE PLANE BODY WALLS SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL AND SUBSTANTIALLY PLANE WHEN THE BODY WALLS ARE FORCED INWARDLY TOWARD EACH OTHER AS FAR AS THEY CAN GO. 